Home | > | List of families | > | Dryopteridaceae | > | Megalastrum | > | lanuginosum |
Synonyms: |
Aspidium odoratum Willd. Ctenitis lanuginosa (Willd. ex Kaulf.) Copel. Lastrea lanuginosa (Willd. ex Kaulf.) T.Moore Nephrodium catopteron (Kunze) Hook. |
Common names: | |
Frequency: | |
Status: | Native |
Description: |
Rhizome erect, sometimes forming a caudex up to 45 cm high; rhizome scales up to 27 × 2 mm, subentire, golden-brown, linear. Fronds tufted, arching, thinly herbaceous, up to 2 m long. Stipe up to 75 cm long, brown, with scales similar to the rhizome scales at the extreme base. Lamina broadly triangular in outline, deeply 2-pinnatifid above to 4-pinnatifid at the base, with basal pinnae largest and strongly basiscopically developed, up to 1.5 × 0.64 m. Pinnules oblong, acuminate, margins entire or shallowly lobed, slightly hairy on both surfaces, more so on the costae & costules and rhachis. Sori small, round, up to 2 mm in diameter; indusia kidney-shaped, brown, sparsely hairy to subglabrous. |
Notes: | The erect caudex, triangular 4-pinnatifid lamina and round sori separate this species from others. |
Derivation of specific name: | lanuginosum: slightly wooly; alluding to the slightly hairy lamina of this fern. |
Habitat: | Deep shade along streams in evergreen forests. |
Altitude range: (metres) | 200 - 1770 m |
Worldwide distribution: | From Southern Africa extending to tropical Africa; also Comoro and Mascarene Islands, Madagascar, bioko, São Tomé. |
Zimbabwe distribution: | E |
Growth form(s): | Terrestrial. |
Endemic status: | |
Red data list status: | |
Insects associated with this species: | |
Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
Literature: |
Burrows, J.E. (1990). Southern African Ferns and Fern Allies. Frandsen, Sandton. Page 324. As Ctenitis lanuginosa (Includes a picture). Burrows, J.E. & Burrows, S.M. (1993). An annotated check-list of the pteridophytes of Malawi Kirkia 14(1) Page 99. Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 28. (Includes a picture). Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 18. As Ctenitis lanuginosa Crouch, N.R., Klopper, R.R., Burrows, J.E. & Burrows, S.M. (2011). Ferns of Southern Africa, A comprehensive guide Struik Nature Pages 490 - 491. (Includes a picture). Da Silva, M.C., Izidine, S. & Amude, A.B. (2004). A preliminary checklist of the vascular plants of Mozambique. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 30 Sabonet, Pretoria Page 15. As Megalastrum lanuginosa Dowsett-Lemaire, F. (1989). The flora and phytogeography of the evergreen forests of Malawi. I: Afromontane and mid-altitude forests; Bull. Jard. Bot. Nat. Belg. 59(1/2) Page 25. As Ctenitis lanuginosa Jacobsen, W.B.G. (1983). The Ferns and Fern Allies of Southern Africa. Butterworths, Durban and Pretoria. Page 454. As Ctenitis lanuginosa (Includes a picture). Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 10. Roux, J.P. (2001). Conspectus of Southern African Pteridophyta. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report 13 Page 135. (Includes a picture). Roux, J.P. (2009). Synopsis of the Lycopodiophyta and Pteridophyta of Africa, Madagascar and neighbouring islands Pages 135 - 136. Schelpe, E.A.C.L.E. (1970). Pteridophyta Flora Zambesiaca Pages 232 - 233. As Ctenitis lanuginosa |
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